Oct. 27, 2012 11:17 p.m. | Last year when the Whitefish Bay football team advanced into the third round of the WIAA state playoffs for the first time in school history, they lingered long on the Brookfield East field celebrating the feat.

And when the Blue Dukes did it again on Saturday afternoon back at Lubar Stadium beating Brookfield Central, 28-3, with an impressive second half effort, they quickly broke their post-game huddle and celebrated with their home fans,

So, en masse, the players went over to the stands, and serenaded the remaining die-hards on the crisp late afternoon with an acappella rendition of Bay's alma mater.

And they weren't half bad.

"We knew we had something special going with this senior class heading into this year," said quarterback Grant Menard, whose 40-yard pass to fellow senior Ian Buchanan set up Jeremiah Holt's 10-yard run for score that broke open a 7-3 Blue Duke lead late in the third quarter.

Oct. 27, 2012 6:46 a.m. | For much of Friday night’s WIAA Division 2 football playoff game, Brookfield East was not in top form, while Greendale was playing well.

As a result, the game turned out to be a tight, exciting affair – but in the end, the Spartans made just a few more big plays than the Panthers and walked away with a 28-21 triumph at Stephen J. Gavinski Field in Greendale.

East improved to 10-0 and notched its first-ever second-round playoff victory. The Spartans will meet either Whitefish Bay or Brookfield Central next weekend in a third-round contest.

Greendale, meanwhile, finished an up-and-down season at 6-4.

“It was a great effort,” East head coach Tom Swittel said, “but we just didn’t play well. We were just out of sync on offense and defense. A lot of credit has to go to Greendale for that. They (the Panthers) played extremely well tonight, maybe as well as they could play, I don’t know.

Oct. 26, 2012 1:10 p.m. | The second round of the WIAA high school football playoffs begins tonight and you can sign up and test your football predicting skills against local celebrities and sportswriters in MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks playoff contest.

Weekly winners will receive a pair of movie passes to Marcus Theatres. Grand prizes at the end of the playoffs are Bartolotta Restaurants gift cards worth $100, $50 and $25.

The Spartans scored at the 17 minute, 8 second mark when senior Trenton Daniels fed senior Ryan Toy the ball in front of the net on the left side and Toy headed the ball into the goal past Papermaker goalkeeper Mason Sauder.

That was all the scoring in the first half, as the Spartans dominated play and spent most of the first 40 minutes on Kimberly's side of the field.

The opening minutes of the game were made in a driving downpour and a strong wind.

Although sophomore goalkeeper Drew Johnson was credited with two official saves, he knocked away several more shots and frustrated Kimberly.

Oct. 23, 2012 4:26 p.m. | The father of Maelyn M. Lind, one of three women killed Sunday in a shooting at a Brookfield spa, said Tuesday that a detective had told his son-in-law that Lind had put herself between the 20-year-old daughter of Zina Haughton, the estranged wife of the shooter, and the shooter himself.

"Maelyn was trying to fight for the guy's gun," Keith Hanson said during an interview on WTMJ-AM (620). "She actually ended up getting shot and was able to save one of the girls. . . . She took a bullet for I believe it was Zina's daughter.

"I know that this guy hated Maelyn because she was Zina's friend. He knew my daughter. He hated her with a passion because she was sticking up for Zina."

Gemmell spoke at Westmoor Country Club, located next door to her salon in which three workers were killed and four others were injured Sunday during a shooting spree by the husband of one of her stylists. She thanked police and the community for their outpouring of love and concern.

Of Zina Haughton, 42, the wife of Radcliffe F. Haughton, who had opened fire at the salon and then later killed himself, she said: "Zina was one of the hardest workers I've ever known. She loved doing hair and gave her heart and soul to her clients. She was an extraordinary mom and a friend to so many."

Another of the victims, Cary L. Robuck, 35, "was the biggest sweetheart" who lived for her daughter and her family, Gemmell said.

The third victim, Maelyn M. Lind, 38, "was an amazing mom and a new grandmother" who she said was cheerful and always smiling.

Oct. 23, 2012 1:26 p.m. | Zina Haughton, who had been involved in an ongoing case of domestic violence that ended Sunday when her estranged husband killed her, two others and injured four at a Brookfield spa, died of multiple gunshot wounds, the Waukesha County medical examiner's office said Tuesday.

The medical examiner said autopsies had been completed on those who died during the shooting spree in which Radcliffe Haughton, 45, entered the Azana Salon & Spa across the street from the Brookfield Square shopping center and opened fire.

Haughton later turned the gun on himself and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiner's report said.

Maelyn M. Lind, 38, who worked at the salon, died of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to the report.

Cary L. Robuck, 35, who also worked at the salon, died of a gunshot wound to the neck, the medical examiner said.

Oct. 22, 2012 1:12 p.m. | Brown Deer resident Sandra Polk, neighbor to alleged Brookfield spa shooter Radcliffe F. Haughton, said she has seen a number of arguments and disputes across the street.

Polk, who lives in the 6500 block of Glenbrook Road, said Haughton, who killed three and injured four Sunday morning before taking his own life, argued with his wife, Zina, outside of their home on multiple occasions, and they sometimes ended up throwing objects around the front yard.

"We were definitely aware of some things that went on when they were outside, such as some verbal abuse," Polk said, "and some throwing, but not at each other. We never really saw anything really physical. No hitting or anything like that."

There were, Polk recalled, times when "things happened inside, after dark," necessitating police involvement. She said Haughton butted heads with Zina Haughton's 20-year-old daughter, Yasmeen Daniel, and once threw her clothes out across their front lawn.

"(Radcliffe) would get angry and kick her out," Polk said. "We think there was a little difference of opinion between him and her (Yasmeen)."

Oct. 22, 2012 1:10 p.m. | Zina Haughton, 42, of Brown Deer, Cary L. Robuck, 35, of Racine, and Maelyn M. Lind, 38, of Oconomowoc, were killed Sunday morning, the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed. Shooter Radcliffe Haughton is among the deceased, and is believed to have committed suicide at the site of the shooting Sunday.

According to a press release, the Medical Examiner's Office plans to autopsy the three victims today to determine the exact cause of their deaths.

As of Monday morning, four wounded victims remained at Froedtert Hospital, three in satisfactory and one in critical condition.